The second of eight of Glasgow's Red Road high rise buildings has been demolished in a controlled explosion.

The 30-storey building at Birnie Court took around five seconds to be razed to the ground, according to the BBC.

The demolition is part of the wider Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) regeneration project.

Built in the 1960s, the Red Road buildings housed around 4,000 people and were – at one point – the highest flats in Europe. However, fewer than 300 people now live there.

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The estate continued to remain an important aspect of Glasgow's skyline, however, with artists, writers and film makers using the site for inspiration.

Speaking about the demolition, GHA Executive Director Alex McGuire, said it was "another step in the ongoing regeneration of Glasgow".

He added: "I'd like to thank all of the residents and businesses for their cooperation both before and after the blowdown."

Around 450 homes were temporarily evacuated during the demolition.

10,000 tonnes of debris resulted in the demolition and the clean-up operation will take several months to complete. Once the steel is removed and recycled, the remaining rubble will be crushed and used as foundations for roads and buildings.

The first block was demolished in June 2012 and the remaining six blocks are to be destroyed by 2017.

(JP/CD)